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On June 12, by a two-thirds majority vote, Norway's legislators legalized same-sex marriage, bringing the total number of countries worldwide to six whose laws have made marriage a gender-neutral institution. Norway now joins The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa in granting same-sex couples relationship equality. In addition to making legal adoptions more accessible to same-sex couples, the new law also makes lesbians eligible for fertility treatment at government expense, just as with their heterosexual counterparts. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Great Britain currently offer the same fertility treatments. Conservatives in Norway's government have raised objections to the new law on the grounds that "traditional" marriage will be compromised and that children of same-sex couples might experience problems. Many of Norway's prominent churches objected to the law, though Norway's Evangelical Lutheran Church last year lifted a ban prohibiting gay couples from serving in the clergy. Sources report that at least six of the country's 11 bishops support gay clergy. The law was opposed by the Roman Catholic Church.
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